Have you ever studied abroad?

I don’t know if you could call it studying abroad, but I did spend 6 weeks in France with my French teacher and two other students. I was 16 at the time. It definitely broadened me and was about the best thing that had happened to me in my short life.

My daughter spent 8 months studying in Japan (an exchange program with her university). She loved it, and has plans to return as soon as she can to live and hopefully work there. I think she’ll probably end up marrying someone there.

I did a student exchange in Ahlen Germany and it opened my eyes as to just how different cultures truly are.

Not yet. If all goes according to plan I will be spending next spring semester and the summer in Belize. A year after that I’m trying to do another study abroad in Fiji. Im extremely excited for the chance to do either :)

No. I wish I had some possibilities but we didn’t have so many people interested in doing exchanges. I wasn’t the best on out class so even if we had them I don’t know if I was to be picked for it.

I’ve spent many years abroad, but not as a student. I wish I had. I had the opportunity when in school to study in Ireland for a semester. I didn’t do it because I didn’t have the money and didn’t want to take out a loan for it. I regret that now and wish I had gone.

I wish

I went to high school in Japan and it was amazing on many different levels. We lived in a Japanese neighborhood (rather than in one of the expat enclaves). Our next door neighbors actually had a family discussion as to whether they were going to welcome us or ignore us (this was only 30 years or so since WWII and they had lost several uncles and a grandfather during the war)—they opted to welcome us and a very wonderful, loving friendship resulted. Our families vacationed together, we joined them for family holidays and events and they joined us for ours. It was a total cultural immersion.

The father of the family had a conversation with my mother about Halloween and American traditions associated with it. A few days later he came over with something behind his back. Us kids were beckoned to see what this was about. He had carved a Japanese pumpkin (more like a small squash or gourd) like a jack-o-lantern for us. He expressed to my mom that it was difficult to do and he was surprised American kids carved jack-o-lanterns. Mom realized something was peculiar about the carved pumpkin and realized that, in her explanation, she had neglected to include the cutting a hole in the top part of the instructions. Our neighbor had used chopsticks and over the course of several hours had pulled the seeds and guts out through the eye holes he had carved!

Our house had tsunami shutters and one day there was an alarm and all the dads in the neighborhood were out trying to get the shutters freed from the wooden boxes where they were mounted on the side of the windows. Dad said he learned how to swear in Japanese that day, hearing all the men fighting warped, rarely used shutters as each sought to protect his family.

The neighbors house was literally two feet away from our house and our kitchen window was opposite their living room window and we would often knock on each other’s windows to share food, or to chat about the day, etc. We really grew to love this family.

At one point, my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor and we had to move back to the states. The father in the neighbor family was devastated as he and my dad had become very close. The father in the family was later named a national treasure as a spiritual leader. He eventually moved his family to a compound where there is now a statue of him and his wife and they are revered as gracious, loving spiritual people. I can’t tell you how lucky every single member of my family feels to have known them.

Over the years, we lost touch with them due to their move and an earthquake or two. But last year, we regained contact with the family and got updates on everyone. The abiding sense of love and gratitude for having been in each other’s lives was still palpable on both sides.

Sometimes I would study abroad, and sometimes a broad would study me…

Sorry, can’t help it.

My sister spent a summer in Europe studying during High School. I think it was one of the best experiences of her life. It certainly gave her a larger world view.

I did spend 3 months in Egypt a few years ago. Didn’t go to study but I learned a hell of a lot.

I’ve studied a few broads in my time

I spent my sophomore year in Greece. I loved it :)

I’m planning on going to Spain next year.

Yes, I studied in England when in college and in South Africa when in my masters program. I am in a PhD program now and am exploring various study abroad opportunities for the summer.

I gotta say im really happy to see how many people said studying abroad was one of the best things they’ve done in their life. It makes me that much more excited to go.

@uberbatman Absolutely the best time of my life, yes! Especially in London!

@Simone_De_Beauvoir While id love to see a place like London I really want to spend time studying abroad in a more exotic culture. If I get to go to Belize one of the classes I can take is ethnobotany. Taking a class like that in a rain forest just sounds beyond amazing to me :)

I have, though I don’t think she’d especially like the term you used to describe her. Speaking of terminology—the authorities seemed to prefer “stalking” to “studying.”